Eka Pada Koundinyasana II (“Flying Splits”) Step by Step

Eka pada koundinyasana II (pose dedicated to the sage Koundinya II) is a split-legged arm balance that is sometimes dubbed "flying splits" as it resembles a front split hovering away from the floor.

This challenging asana has become a staple in many vinyasa classes:

"From downward facing dog, inhale, lift the right leg up; exhale, knee to chest; inhale, back to three-legged dog; exhale, bring your right knee to your upper right arm, and—if you want—you can take it into eka pada koundinyasana II."

Sounds familiar? 

Like with many arm balances, maintaining a chaturanga - like arm position is essential for a safe, sustainable eka pada koundinyasana II. As you practice chaturanga, pay special attention to keeping the fronts of your shoulders lifted away from the floor (they should remain as high as, or higher than, your elbows as you lower), and staying broad through your collarbones and chest. 

The initial flying splits setup described below starts with a lizard variation and moves into a "leg over arm lunge" (sometimes called "airplane lunge" if you extend both of your arms out to the side like "wings"), making poses like these especially useful preps.

Poses like these are great for learning to work your leg up over your arm too, and will also help to prepare your hips for eka pada koundinyasana II.

And other poses that stretch the hamstrings, like utthita hasta padangusthasana, supta padangushthasana, and hanumanasana. 

This variation provides you with another great way to stretch your hamstrings, and gives you a chance to practice walking your front foot forward at a diagonal (like you will in your peak pose) from a more stable position, making a shape that's likely more similar to the shape you'll make when you're airborne than a traditional split is. 

If you (or your students) are facing similar frustrations with eka pada koundinyasana II, or if you're just looking to more deeply explore and refine your "flying splits," you might find the following step-by-step breakdown to be useful. And while there are certainly those who will prefer the three-legged dog transition, or find it to be easier initially, you may even (like me) discover that after playing with coming into the pose via lunge for a while, incorporating it into your vinyasas (via the three-legged-dog transition) seems a lot more accessible!

How to to it

• Come into a lunge with your right foot forward, and bring both of your hands to the inside of your front foot. 
• Lift your back thigh (especially your back inner thigh) up toward the sky and sink your front thigh down and forward. Stretch your legs apart from each other like you're stretching your mat in two as you reach your chest (not your chin!) forward, leading with the sternum like you would in warrior III, so that the weight of the upper body begins to balance out the weight of the hips.
• This is where you work your right shoulder under your leg (just like you would for the deep lunge or "airplane lunge" variation mentioned earlier). Some people find it helpful to walk the right foot a little more to the right for this, but personally, I find that walking the foot a little more toward the left (so it's more toward the center of my mat) helps me to feel more stable coming into the pose, and to work my arm under my leg more easily. Experiment with both and see what works best for you. 
• Then, to work your leg under: Lift your right heel up off of the floor (like you're wearing a shoe with a high heel); bring your right hand to the back of your calf, and lift the flesh of your calf up. Then move your right thigh back (out toward the right) to make space to work your shoulder under. Continue to work these actions: calf up, thigh back, shoulder under, until you get to the point where your shoulder is as "under" as it's going to get! 
• Once you've worked your arm under your leg, lower your right heel back down, and plant your hands on the floor (on either side of your front leg; think chaturanga arms here). Broaden through your collarbones and lift the fronts of your shoulders up away from the floor. 
• Start to walk your right foot forward at a diagonal, toward the upper right corner of your mat. Then, lift your right heel up off of the floor, and see if you can inch your right foot forward (at that same diagonal) a little more. Then, see if you can spread your toes and lift your entire foot up off of the floor! Keep your elbows bent, your collarbones broad, and your gaze slightly forward.
• With your right foot lifted and your right leg extended, start to shift your weight a little more forward to come high up onto your left toes (keep your collarbones broad and maintain chaturanga arms), and, using your toes like a lever or a seesaw, shift your shoulders and chest forward, and see if you can lift your back foot off of the floor too. You'll have to "negotiate" your weight as you shift forward and back a bit, perhaps eventually finding the "sweet spot" where both feet can hover away from the floor. Until then, hopping up and down on your back foot is totally fine! Keep the fronts of your shoulders lifted, level, and not dipping below your elbows. Spread your toes and stretch out through both legs with your gaze slightly forward. 
• Return your back foot to the floor, then step back to downward facing dog. Take a few resting breaths, then repeat on the other side. 

Don't be surprised if one side differs wildly from the other! Once I learned to hover both legs off the floor on the right side, it took me some time before I could do the same thing on the left side! If you too discover that one side is considerably more challenging than the other, try starting with your "harder" side the next time that you practice this pose. This can help to ensure that you spend just as much time (if not a little more) on the side that could use a little more attention. 

Balance out your practice with a few favorite backbends, like shalabhasana (locust) variations, dhanurasana (bow pose), setu bandha (bridge pose), or urdhva dhanurasna (upward facing bow/wheel). From there choose one or two grounding finishing poses, like a simple forward bend variation of pigeon, or a figure four stretch before settling into a blissful shavasana!

Namaste!

What we did in the class - Firefly Pose - Tittibhasana

Well, well, well, sometimes (all the time :P) we have real challenges in the classes and after today's session in the park we tried Firefly Pose, too... here is a video and instructions how to do it... plus few pics :) 

click to watch the video

1. Start in a standing forward fold with knees slightly bent and feet slightly wider than hip width. Grab your right calf with your right hand and press deeply into the leg to help work your shoulder behind the calf. Repeat the same action with your left leg and shoulder. Then toe-heel your feet closer together, but no closer than hip width.

2. Once both shoulders are neatly behind your legs, wrap your forearms around the sides of your shins and place your palms on top of your feet, fingers pointing forward. Hug your upper thighs around your torso and keep your head heavy.

3. With active thighs, keep hugging in toward the midline. Bend your knees deeper. Place your palms on the ground behind your feet and drop your buttocks until your arms create a throne to sit on. Extend your gaze forward. Lift the feet. Keep squeezing the sides of your body with your thighs, and firm your forearms.

4. Drop your seat even farther toward your wrists as you lift your lower belly and hug your thighs around your arms. Once your hips are set, work toward straightening your legs. Keep your sternum lifted, collarbones wide, and gaze forward. Shift your shoulder heads back and lift the gaze.

Yoga get-together 18th Sept 2016

Our first yoga get-together - it was only few of us today, but I had such a nice time with my yoga ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming and I hope you enjoyed today afternoon as much as I did!! I learnt so many new things, I hope you, too :) 

Our 2nd yoga get-together is next Sunday 25th Sept @1pm

Enjoy the pictures :)

Namaste!

Todays little stretch

Give me 5 mins and I'll do something crazy 😱😜 my wrists are gone - I'm quite impressed I hold myself up for more than half a second 😂🎉

check out the video :)

My new achievement!!!

Well, this one was a pose I would look at but I`ve never tried it, simply because it looks awesomely impossible :P But I did it - for the first time on Sunday, with like 5 blocks under me to start off, and once you get a feeling of it, it will became a really nice showing off posture :P :) I am so happy I can do it!!!!
I think I tried it because I  corrected my arms and hands in Crow, I did the Crow on Friday slightly different than usual and I could stay in it forever, I just knew my balance it perfect. I could do it for few second before, but not as balanced and perfect as now :)


So now I can start with more difficult postures, my yoga experience is growing each day, it doesn`t matter how many hours you practise, there is always so much to learn!

A bit more info about my new most favourite pose: Firefly Pose - Tittibhasana
Want to fly? Fire up your core. Firefly pose is an arm balance pose that requires more core strength than arm strength.

• Squat with your feet a little less than shoulder distance apart. Tilt your pelvis forward and bring your trunk between your legs. Keeping your trunk low, straighten your legs enough to lift your pelvis to about knee height
• Bring your left upper arm and shoulder as far as possible underneath the back of your left thigh just above the knee and place your left hand on the floor at the outside edge of your foot, fingers pointing forward. Repeat these actions on the other side.
• Lift yourself off the floor by carefully shifting your center of gravity. Press your hands into the floor and slowly begin to rock your weight back, off your feet and onto your hands. Keep your inner thighs as high on your arms as possible.
• With an inhalation, stretch your legs out to the sides as straight as you can, keeping your pelvis high to make your legs parallel to the floor.
• Press through the bases of your big toes but pull your toes back toward your torso and spread them apart. The inner edges of your feet should be angled slightly forward, the outer edges slightly back.
• Straighten your arms as much as possible. Hollow your chest as you widen your shoulder blades as much as possible; this will round your upper back, which will lift your torso higher.
• Without tensing your neck, lift your head and gaze forward. Breathe slowly and hold the pose for 15 seconds or longer, then release your feet to the floor with an exhale.

Beginner's Tip

You can approximate this pose by sitting on the floor, legs spread to a ninety-degree angle, elevating each heel on a block, and pressing your palms into the floor between your legs.

Benefits

• Stretches the inner groins and back torso
• Strengthens the arms and wrists
• Tones the belly
• Improves sense of balance

September Challenge # Day 27 Balance Poses

I am not sure if someone noticed, but yesterday I didn't go on computer, so we had a day off / but here is today's posture:

Wild Thing (Camatkarasana)

One poetic translation of Camatkarasana means “the ecstatic unfolding of the enraptured heart.”

We did it in the classes past few weeks, be creative, you can do variations, too, I want to see many pics!!

September Challenge # Day 25 Balance Poses

Thank you for yesterday's postures - today we are going to strengthen our arms with: 

Side Plank Pose (Vasisthasana)

A powerful arm and wrist strengthener, Side Plank takes its two-armed sibling to the next level, as an arm balance.

Vasistha = literally means “most excellent, best, richest.” Vasistha is the name of several well-known sages in the yoga tradition. There’s a Vasistha numbered among the seven (sometimes 10 or 12) seers (rishis) or lords of creation (prajapatis), and a Vasistha who’s author of a number of Vedic hymns. He’s also said to be the owner of the fabulous “cow of plenty,” Nandini (“delight”), which grants his every wish and accounts for his infinite wealth.

How to get into it:

• Perform Adho Mukha Svanasana. Shift onto the outside edge of your left foot, and stack your right foot on top of the left. Now swing your right hand onto your right hip, turn your torso to the right as you do, and support the weight of your body on the outer left foot and left hand.
• Make sure that the supporting hand isn’t directly below its shoulder; position the hand slightly in front of its shoulder, so the supporting arm is angled a bit relative to the floor. Straighten the arm by firming the triceps muscle, and press the base of the index finger firmly against the floor.
• Firm the scapulas and sacrum against the back torso. Strengthen the thighs, and press through the heels toward the floor. Align your entire body into one long diagonal line from the heels to the crown.
• If you’d like you can stretch the top arm toward the ceiling, parallel to the line of the shoulders. Keep the head in a neutral position, or turn it to gaze up at the top hand.
• Stay in this position for 15 to 30 seconds. Come back to Adho Mukha Svanasana, take a few breaths, and repeat to the right side for the same length of time. Then return to Adho Mukha Svanasana for a few more breaths, and finally release into Balasana.

September Challenge # Day 23 Balance Poses

OK, thank you for beautiful Tree Poses yesterday, some naughty, some on holiday, but here is today's challenge:

Eight-Angle Pose (Astavakrasana)

Fire up your abs for this difficult asymmetrical arm balance - it is not as difficult as you might think - try it and post the pics!!! :)

How to get tangled into this posture:

• Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), with your feet separated a bit wider than usual. Exhale, bend forward to Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend), press your hands to the floor outside your feet. Then with your knees slightly bent, slip your right arm to the inside and then behind your right leg, and finally press the hand on the floor just outside your right foot. Work your right arm across the back of the right knee, until the knee is high up on the back of your right shoulder.
• Brace your shoulder against the knee and slide your left foot to the right. Cross the left ankle in front of the right and hook the ankles. Lean slightly to the left, taking more weight on your left arm, and begin to lift your feet a few inches off the floor.
• With the right leg supported on the shoulder, exhale and bend your elbows. Lean your torso forward and lower it toward parallel to the floor; at the same time, straighten your knees and extend your legs out to the right, parallel to the floor (and perpendicular to your torso). Squeeze your upper right arm between your thighs. Use that pressure to help twist your torso to the left. Keep your elbows in close to the torso. Look at the floor.
• Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. Then straighten your arms slowly, lift your torso back to upright, bend your knees, unhook your ankles, and return your feet to the floor. Stand back and rest in Uttanasana for a few breaths. Then repeat the pose for the same length of time to the left.

Chin balance

My big achievement today - I've seen the pose yesterday in a YouTube video and I almost broke my neck trying it for the first time, but today I DID IT!!! My chin hurts, but I feel soooo pleased with myself 

I love Yoga!

Be prepared to get bendy! Chin balance requires a majorly open back, which means open hips and open shoulders too. Basically this pose is all about opening—a great thing to practice in the colder, less-light-filled months when we tend to close off.

Take it slow with this one. Chin balance is a major deep backbend, and there is no rush to get into any “final” pose. Be where you are—it is a great place to be!

Arm Balances 10/11/14

Arm balances can be some of the most fun and exhilarating yoga poses to practice, but for a lot of people, they can be scary and intimidating. For one, most people have a fear of falling. Even though we constantly say that yoga is a practice and that it’s ok to fall, people automatically correlate falling with failure. Second, a lot of people shy away from arm balances because they feel like they don’t have the balance or the upper body strength. If you think about it, we don’t use our arms, shoulders and chest that often. We are on our feet most of the time, so it’s pretty common, especially for women, to lack the upper body strength that is needed to do some of these poses.

A great way to start building balance and upper body strength for arm balances is practicing plank pose (maybe adding in some mini push-ups) and downward dog. Practicing plank is great because it forces you to engage your arms, strengthening the weight bearing muscles of the arm that are crucial for succeeding in more advanced arm balances.

Arm balances have a few very important benefits. They can help build upper body strength which in turn, builds bone density which over time, can prevent the loss of mineralization in the bones in the upper body – also known as osteoporosis. Arm balances also require a certain amount of balance which can prevent falls and broken bones which is important especially as we get older.

We tried headstand in the class :P

We were doing a preparation for the headstand in all Hatha Yoga classes last week - few of you even went to the full headstand - well done. 

On Saturday, Darran wanted to try it, he have never done it before, and here are the results!! Awesome! :) 

My FIRST youtube video

Past few weeks before my classes you could probably see me trying to do the same thing with handstand - but I couldn't slow it down... And today I was told to try it in headstand - and here I go :)  

My FIRST youtube video... click here to watch the video

- what do you think?  I need some feedback... 

Side plank variation

Yesterday's achievement - I am really impressed how everyone did this side plank variation - I am sooo happy I've got such a brilliant class

Parsva Bakasana - Side Crow

Crow pose - which is also known as crane pose or Bakasana - is usually the first arm balance learned by yoga students. Crow pose strengthens the arms, wrists and abdominal muscles in addition to stretching the upper back and opening the groins. It can be a little tricky at first (and you will probably fall on your face at least once!) but once you master it, crow pose is a fun position which helps to build confidence and self-awareness. Here's how you can achieve a perfect crow pose.

Sit straight and tall on your heels - lift the chest

Raise the arm that is further from the mat

Place the hand down to the mat - elbow is close to the knee

Place the other hand down - leave plenty of space between the hands

Walk your feet forward so they will be in the line with your hands

Slowly lean forward - don´t jump your feet up, they will come up  as you lean

Don´t fall ;)